From a bird’s eye perspective Visit the tower with no waiting The town hall in dates Contact information The gothic tower dating from the 14th century constitutes the In addition to classic tickets, visitors to the town hall can now 1338 – the establishment of the Old Town Hall The historical interiors are open daily: The Old Town dominant feature of the Old Town Hall and indeed the entire square. also purchase mobile tickets. This is the only type of ticket which The Old Town Hall is one of the oldest town halls in the world. Mon 11:00 am – 7:00 pm When it was established, it was the highest structure in all of Prague. enables preferential entry into the tower without waiting in the Tues–Sun 9:00 am – 7:00 pm A watchman’s dwelling was added to the top of the tower, from queue. Not only is it cheaper, but the mTicket also enables visitors The 14th century – the construction of the town hall tower Hall in Prague where the watchman monitored the town’s environs and warned the to download bonus content to their cell phones. It is currently The Old Town Hall’s tower is 69.5 m high. The town hall tower is open daily: townsfolk in case of danger. available in 13 language versions. Mon 11:00 am – 10:00 pm 1381 – the fi rst consecration of the town hall chapel Tues–Sun 9:00 am – 10:00 pm Nowadays, the tower’s viewing gallery off ers the most beautiful The mobile ticket can be acquired by scanning the QR code The chapel has been consecrated a total of fi ve times over the views of the city; it is possible to see the Týn Cathedral or Saint or purchased directly online at prague.mobiletickets.cz. centuries. Evening tours of the Old Town Hall: Nicholas’ Church from a bird’s eye view, while you can also admire Fri–Sat 8:00 pm Prague Castle in the distance or be astonished by the multitude of 1410 – the establishment of Prague’s astronomical clock towers, spires and domes arrayed in Prague’s diverse architecture. The Old Town’s astronomical clock is now the oldest functioning Special tours for children: astronomical clock in the world. Sun 2:00 pm The town hall tower is the only medieval tower in Prague which off ers full wheelchair access;a modern glass lift takes visitors up 1458 – the election of George of Poděbrady as the King of Bohemia The procession of the twelve apostles: to the viewing gallery. The designers of the lift received the 2000 This event is also depicted in one of the paintings in the Assembly daily 9:00 am – 11:00 pm Interior of the Year award for its realisation. Hall – the monumental canvass has dimensions of 5×7.3 m.
1621 – the execution of the participants in the Estates Uprising Telephone: +420 236 002 629 in front of the town hall E-mail: [email protected] This is now recalled by 27 white crosses set in the square’s paving. Web: www.staromestskaradnicepraha.cz www.prague.eu 1838–1848 – the neo-gothic renovation of the Old Town Hall The town hall acquired a new north-eastern wing designed by the architects Nobile and Sprenger. We look forward to your visit!
1945 – the shelling of the town hall A large part of the town hall was destroyed during an attack by the Nazis during the fi ghting which took place in the Prague Uprising.
Text © Prague City Tourism, 2017 Photography © Prague City Tourism, the Prague City Archives, The Old Town Hall with its tower and astronomical clock The Old Town Hall in May 1945 Shutterstock.com
letak_Starom-RADNICE_2016_ENG.indd 1 12.12.16 8:37 A closer look at the apostles tower and it was consecrated as early as in 1381. Church services The Old Town Hall were regularly held in the chapel every day before council meetings, Prague’s famous astronomical clock, which has adorned the façade as well as for prisoners who were being held in the town hall or for in Prague of the Old Town Hall since 1410, has attracted the attention of convicts who had been sentenced to death before they made their passing Prague citizens and visitors alike for centuries. A special way from there to the executioner’s block. Masses for the welfare of The Old Town Hall is the most beautiful monument in stone annex was built on the southern side of the town hall tower the sovereign were frequently held there and it was also often Prague’s historical centre. It was created from the to house the mechanism. Despite the fact that older astronomical a venue for funerals. 14th century onwards by means of the gradual purchasing clocks existed elsewhere at that time, none of them achieved the of individual burgesses’ houses and their integration degree of perfection of the astronomical clock in Prague’s Old Town or The Old Council Hall is yet another significant product of the gothic into a single unit. Nowadays, it consists of a set of five engendered as much admiration. period. The most valuable room in the entire town hall has been historic houses which bear the characteristics of almost preserved in its original form dating from the beginning of the 15th all the ensuing architectural periods. The astronomical clock consists of several parts; as well as the century. The Old Council Hall is distinguished by its richly profiled astronomical and calendar faces, it is also equipped with a mechanism beamed ceiling, rare statuary and beautifully carved historical The town hall has played a significant role in the history of both Prague consisting of statues of the twelve apostles which appear at two small and the Czech state more than once. George of Poděbrady was elected windows on the hour. The chapel on the town hall’s first floor also the King of Bohemia in the town hall and Jan Želivský, a radical Hussite enables visitors to view the apostles from the inside of the clock. leader, was executed in its courtyard. Later, the town hall witnessed the mass execution of the participants in the Estates Uprising. At the end Other figures on the sides of the astronomical clock also come to life of the Second World War, it was attacked by the country’s occupiers during the procession of the apostles; Death rings a bell, turns over an and a large part of the building was completely destroyed. hourglass and indicates to the Turk standing next to him that his time is up. The Turk shakes his head in rejection of this premise. The Vain Man and the Miser also behave similarly.
The gothic chapel on the first floor of the Old Town Hall
furniture. In the past, it witnessed regular meetings of the town The medieval underground council and the town court. The tour of the Old Town Hall includes the area located beneath The largest hall in the Old Town Hall is the Brožík Assembly Hall. the town hall complex. The complicated system of Romano-gothic It occupies the entire floor of one house and extends to the height of underground cellars is older than the town hall itself. The complex two floors. The hall’s main decorations consist of two large paintings of medieval halls, corridors and tunnels is also the largest of its kind by the famous painter Václav Brožík. The paintings depict important in Prague. moments from Czech history.
The apostles in the Old Town astronomical clock – a view from the interior
The historical and ceremonial halls
No visitor to Prague should miss the opportunity to take a tour of the town hall’s interiors. The rooms on the various floors date from a number of different historical periods and they document the remarkable development of the town hall complex. Nowadays, they are mainly used for the ceremonial purposes of the City of Prague.
The Chapel of the Virgin Mary constitutes the core of the Old Town The Old Town Hall at the end of the 19th century Hall. It was established soon after the construction of the town hall The Lord Mayor’s chair in the Old Council Hall The Brožík Assembly Hall The Romano-gothic underground area beneath the town hall
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